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Title: Intranasal Corticosteroids for Allergic Rhinitis May Not Affect Growth in Children: Presented at ACAAI

"Intranasal Corticosteroids for Allergic Rhinitis May Not Affect Growth in Children: Presented at ACAAI"

By Corinna S. Bowser, MD PHILADELPHIA, PA -- November 13, 2006 -- Children with allergic rhinitis treated with a common intranasal corticosteroid show no growth deficits after 3 years of treatment, an investigator reported here at the at 2006 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). The "real-life" ongoing study was designed to determine the effects of triamcinolone acetonide aqueous nasal spray (Nasacort AQ) on statural growth in children. The findings represent some of the first long-term data available in this setting, said David P. Skoner, MD, professor of pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine, and director, division of allergy, asthma and immunology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "There are some long-term data for asthma, but there's no more than 1-year data for intranasal steroids for allergies or treatment of hay fever," Dr. Skoner said. "The bottom line is we found no growth effects at all, similar to what we found in the asthma literature." Guidelines recommend intranasal corticosteroids for treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, some patients actually receive antihistamines as first-line therapy due to concerns about possible adverse effects, including growth retardation. To address this concern, Dr. Skoner and colleagues initiated a study, still ongoing, that is evaluating children with allergic rhinitis who received either the intranasal corticosteroid or an antihistamine. Investigators are using stadiometry to evaluate height twice yearly, with follow-up to continue to age 18 years for each subject. The goal is to enroll a total of 80 children, of which 30 have completed the 3-year follow-up visit. Dr. Skoner presented the 3-year results at ACAAI on November 12[^th.

Data showed no significant suppression of height in children who had receiving 3 years of treatment with triamcinolone acetonide aqueous nasal spray. The average measured and predicted heights for children receiving the corticosteroid nasal spray were 155.9 and 155.7 cm, respectively. In comparison, children who received antihistamine treatment had average measured and predicted heights of 159.4 and 156.9 cm, respectively.

Dr. Skoner said these findings were "very reassuring" to some pediatricians who have seen these findings.

"They are not looking for 12 weeks of safety data," he said. "They now want years of safety data, and this is the first [long-term] nasal data that provides … reassurance for what they are doing in their practice."

The study was funded by sanofi-aventis U.S., Inc.

[Presentation title: 3-Year Treatment of Children With Triamcinolone Acetonide Aqueous for Allergic Rhinitis Does Not Affect Statural Growth. Abstract P217]

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